Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan praised his team for their selflessness after they withstood a hard fightback from Carlton, who cut a 56-point lead to 11 midway through the last quarter, to notch their fourth win of the year.
Western Bulldogs take advantage of the five-goal northerly off Trinity Bay to blow away Gold Coast's challenge in Darwin.
Brisbane were competitive for a quarter, and might even have led at quarter-time. But wayward kicking cost dearly, and a 10-goal second quarter to the Cats tore them to ribbons.
It's Sunday afternoon at Etihad and Brisbane Lions defender Harris Andrews, in his third year and playing his 50th game, is facing off against Essendon's Joe Daniher, an emerging superstar in his 84th.
Come the (eventual) milestone, come the man and
Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron didn't pull punches after his team missed a percentage-boosting opportunity against the Brisbane Lions.
Gary Ablett has no regrets about his move from Geelong to Gold Coast, but as he prepares for his 300th game against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Sunday he admitted the move hasn't delivered the team success he craves.
Now, the Blues are five wins and seven losses, still improbably in the finals hunt that no one would have predicted they'd get close to pre-season.
There were whispers that could be an upset in the offing at the Gabba ahead of this game.
Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade said his side had successfully managed to deny the West Coast Eagles enough of the ball in a low-intensity contest at Metricon Stadium, with the Suns able to wrest victory from the jaws of defeat in the final minutes.
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